Hiring Digital Consultants - How to get it right

June 11, 2011


External consultants can be a valuable source of practical support and inspiration when it comes to digital issues, but there are lots of people offering “digital” advice. Choose the right consultancy, and they’ll help you create something that delivers value and makes you look good. Choose the wrong one, and you’ll waste your money on failed strategies and damage your reputation.

So how do you decide which ones to hire?

Remember that you’re buying an important service. You need to ask the sellers probing questions. It’s also a good idea to get your procurement department involved early in the process.

This list of questions will help you to choose the right consultants:

  1. Are they really digital experts? They should know much, much more about digital than you do. They should have access to a range of experts in specific areas.

  2. Do they understand pharma? The pharma industry is different, and consultants need practical experience to understand the challenges you face.

  3. Are they really consultants? Consultancy is a career; it takes time and effort to become a good consultant. Look for consultants with a track record.

  4. Are they independent? They may be using consultancy to sell you another service. You need a balanced overview of all available options - not just theirs.

  5. Who’s paying them? You need objective and impartial advice when it comes to your project. Consultants shouldn’t be taking money from anyone except you, especially not potential suppliers.

If you’re happy with them after this you’ll probably have an answer to the question:

Do you like them and do you trust them?

You’ll have to work with them, and your reputation may be at stake if they don’t deliver, so it’s important to be able to say yes to this question.

Finally, good consultants have their own reputation to protect, and they’ll want to know that you and your organisation are committed to the task. Asking these questions will help build mutual trust. We’re consultants, and we love to know that an organisation is well-informed and dedicated enough to test us!

The end result should be a strong working relationship and a project to be proud of.

 

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